


A Face in the Crowd

by kittys_fic



Category: Loki - Fandom, Loki laufeyson - Fandom, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Citizen of Asgard, Escape from Hela, F/M, Loki fluff, Love from afar, Marvel Universe, Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), loss of family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-03-31 03:14:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13966155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittys_fic/pseuds/kittys_fic
Summary: You are a citizen of Asgard, trying to escape the wrath of Hela and her army, with Heimdall’s help. You have lost your family. Once you are aboard the ship that takes everyone off Asgard, you encounter Loki, who is sympathetic to your plight. You later discover Loki has been admiring you from afar.





	1. Part 1

You stare out of the window of the spaceship, thinking about your father and brother. Both of them were killed trying to defend you and your mother from Hela’s army of the dead. They both fought valiantly, but alas, it was not enough to ward them off.

Their deaths were a blur to you. You remember seeing them fall, swarmed by Hela’s minions, but after that you cannot recall your reaction. You may have screamed, you may have cried, you may have cursed the goddess of death. Your memory is fuzzy. What you do remember is running away as fast as you could, leaving your mother behind, and winding up outside the walls of the palace grounds, where you sunk to your knees and sobbed.

You stayed there for a long time, on the ground in grief and mourning. But then you heard a man’s gentle voice above your head. “Come with me,” he said. You looked up and saw Heimdall standing in front of you, his hand extended to help you up.

You took his hand and went with him through the forest, winding up at a secret hiding place in the mountains. As you walked through the doors, you saw hundreds of other people who were hiding away from Hela. You felt a sense of relief knowing that so many people were here with you, and you thanked Heimdall profusely for bringing you to them.

Then you remembered you had left your mother behind. “Heimdall,” you said. “Have you seen my mother?”

“I have not,” said Heimdall. “But I will continue to search for her.”

You thanked him again and went to take your place among the crowd. The fact that he had not seen your mother made you worry that something awful had happened to her. You found a large chunk of marble to sit on, where you once again became overtaken by grief. Tears rolled down your cheeks as you thought to yourself, _if only I could have saved them_. You cursed Hela once again, your grief turning to anger.

You stayed in the hiding place for a couple of days. Each time Heimdall brought more people inside, you looked eagerly to see if your mother was among them. But no, she was never there. Your anger continued to grow with each passing day.

Then came the day when Hela and her army found the place where you were hiding. Chaos erupted, as the scores of people screamed and cried and tried to escape. As Heimdall herded everyone out the back door, you tried to stay calm, but inside you were terrified Hela might kill you as well, and everyone else.

You remember seeing women with their young children. You remember thinking to yourself, _What if I don’t live to have children of my own? What if these children I see don’t get to grow up? What if Hela destroys all of us? What will become of Asgard?_

You followed the crowd through the woods, praying to the gods every step of the way. Somehow, miraculously, you made it to the Bifrost bridge. The lot of you began to head across the bridge, following behind Heimdall. You felt a small glimmer of hope that you might make it out of Asgard alive, combined with uncertainty and fear over Asgard’s fate and your own fate.

You couldn’t make it all the way across the bridge, however. There were hordes of Hela’s army standing in your way. As you watched the scene unfold in front of you, you felt your tiny sense of hope dwindle away, and the fear and uncertainty grow larger. You were trapped amid the crowd, with no real way to go except right into the chaos ahead of you. You closed your eyes and wished someone would come and save you all. And then…

“Your savior is here!”

You and just about everyone else turned around. There, in the mist, was Loki in his horned helmet, standing with arms outstretched in front of a huge spaceship.

“Did you miss me?” he said as he walked off the ship and into the crowd. “Everyone, on that ship.”

The crowd shifted forward, towards the entrance of the ship, with you caught in the middle of it, being pushed and shoved in various directions. You followed along as best you could until you finally found yourself climbing across the threshold of the ship. You found a corner where you could stand and huddled against the wall, exhausted and trembling. Your glimmer of hope was returning.

You couldn’t see much from where you were, but you could hear the sounds of battle outside the ship, on the bridge. You heard Skurge yelling and firing weapons. You felt the ship rise and tilt and lurch as something tried to prevent it from taking off. You felt a strange heat coming from outside the ship and people screaming as their beloved home of Asgard began to burn. And then, after what felt like an eternity, the ship finally left the ground and headed for the skies.

And now here you are, on that large spaceship, floating in outer space, looking for a new home. Asgard is no more. Your father and brother are gone. You don’t know where your mother is. Even though there are hundreds of people on board, you feel alone.

You stare out of the window at the blackness and emptiness of space. _This is what my heart feels like_ , you think to yourself. You feel the tears start to form in your eyes again. You can’t hold them back. Soon you are openly crying, your forehead pressed to the window.

“My dear, what’s the matter?” you hear a voice say. You turn towards the sound and see Loki standing in front of you, a look of concern on his face.

“Loki,” you say. “I am indebted to you for saving me. But I am the only one from my family who made it onto the ship.”

“Oh,” says Loki, “I am so sorry, my dear.” He puts a hand on your shoulder. “Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?”

“I would really like to lie down,” you tell Loki. “Is there anywhere on this ship where I can have some privacy?”

Loki thinks for a moment, then nods. “I can let you use my quarters,” he says, extending his hand. “Come with me.”

You take his hand and follow him through the ship, out of the main area and into a corridor. “Are you sure it’s alright for me to use your quarters?” you ask him. “I mean, I’m just a… commoner.”

“Nonsense,” says Loki. “No one is too common to have a lie-down when they need it. Here we are.” A door slides open and the two of you walk into his chambers.

You look around, feeling a little nervous. You look back at Loki, who is standing behind you.

“Go ahead,” he says, gesturing at the modest-looking bed in the corner of the room.

“Thank you,” you say. “Thank you for helping me get away from all the nonsense.” You sit down on the bed and take off your shoes.

“You’re welcome, [Y/N],” says Loki.

You look at Loki in surprise. “How did you know my name?”

Loki smiles and shrugs. “I know what I need to know,” he says. He gestures for you to lie down, which you do. He takes the blanket that was folded at the foot of the bed and drapes it over you.

“Loki,” you say as he tucks you in, “What will become of us all?”

“Don’t you worry about that right now,” he replies. “My brother has a plan. We’ll be safe. For now, get some rest.”

You look up at him and smile. “Thank you again,” you say, and close your eyes.

Loki leans over and gives you a small, gentle kiss on the forehead. “Rest well, my dear,” he whispers.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aboard the spaceship which is carrying the Asgardians, you learn of Loki’s feelings for you, and the two of you hatch a plan.

Lying on the bed in Loki’s quarters, you drift in and out of consciousness for a little while, while Loki putters about, then you fall into sleep.

Your dreams are a swirl of faces from the hiding place and the spaceship. You look desperately for your father, brother and mother among them, but you never find them. You see Hela’s minions chasing after you, then Hela herself, throwing daggers in your direction. You see Fenrir, the huge wolf-like beast, its fangs bared, its growling low and sinister.

You see a small spaceship in the air and man fall from it, landing on the Bifrost bridge in front of Fenrir. _Who is this man?_ You’ve never seen him before. The ship above fires at the beast, as the man transforms into a huge, hulking green creature, grabbing Fenrir by the tail and swinging it about.

You see a Valkyrie descend from the ship. _Weren’t all the Valkyries dead? Where did this one come from?_ You watch as she fights off Hela’s minions with her sword. She is skilled and agile, and quite beautiful.

Everything turns to a blur of monsters and people, surrounded by rainbow colors. You hear the screams and cries of the other citizens. You feel yourself hunker down in the larger spaceship, praying for safe passage out of Asgard. As you crouch against the wall of the ship, you see a hand reach out to you…

“[Y/N]? How are you feeling?”

You open your eyes slowly. Loki is sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at you. You hadn’t planned on falling asleep. You wonder how long you’ve been out, and how long Loki had been watching you sleep.

“Loki,” you say sleepily.

Loki smiles. “Hello there,” he says, brushing a lock of hair out of your eyes. “Did you have a good rest?”

“Yes,” you reply. “Thank you again for letting me use your quarters.”

“You can use it anytime,” Loki says, still stroking your hair.

You sit up and look at him. “So how did you know my name, anyway?”

“Like I said, I know what I need to know,” he says, taking your hand in his and looking into your eyes. “The truth is, I’ve been watching you.”

You are taken aback by his statement. “Watching me? How? Why?”

Loki smiles again. “You worked in the palace. I saw you come and go. I became smitten with you, so I made a point of it to learn as much as I could about you.”

You look at him, shocked. “How…”

“I have my sources,” he says.

“I’m… flattered,” you say. “But why didn’t you say anything to me before now?”

“Ah,” says Loki. “My idiot brother told me to back off. He said you were ‘beneath’ me, and should I try to woo you, I could get in big trouble. So I tried to forget. But I couldn’t. Every time I saw you, my heart would ache for you more and more.”

You don’t know what to say to all of this. You just stare at Loki, your mouth slightly agape. You don’t know if you should tell him that you, too, have feelings for him, but you put those feelings on a shelf because you thought you didn’t stand a chance with him. But now, here he is, confessing his love for you. It’s like something out of a dream.

“Your brother is probably just jealous,” you say with a smirk.

Loki laughs, then leans in and kisses you, softly. The feeling of his lips brushing against yours sends a tingling sensation throughout you. You close your eyes, enjoying every second of the kiss.

“Loki,” you say quietly, you face still close to his. “What are we going to do about this?”

Loki closes his eyes and sighs. “This is such a difficult time for everyone,” he says. “Especially my brother. If he were to see us together, he’d probably have a fit. Not to mention Heimdall, and just about every citizen of the former Asgard.”

You look down. He is still holding onto your hand. “I understand,” you say.

“But I cannot deny my love for you,” says Loki. “I cannot. I will not.”

“But…” you begin to say.

“We’ll have to keep it secret for the time being,” says Loki. He traces a finger down your cheek. “Do you think you can keep a secret?”

You look Loki directly in the eyes and smile. “I can,” you say.

Loki smiles and kisses you again, a happy, loving kiss full of passion and excitement. You throw your arms around his shoulders and take it all in.

“Come on, then,” Loki says, pulling back slightly. “My brother will want to tell us his plan for our future.”

He helps you out of the bed and smooths your hair back into place. You straighten out your dress and look at him. “You should probably go first,” you say to him. “And I’ll follow a minute or two later.”

“Right,” says Loki, and turns to leave the room. You remain where you are, counting to yourself. _1… 2… 3…_

_Loki loves me_ , you think to yourself. A huge grin stretches across your face. _14… 15… 16…_

_But that doesn’t bring back my family_. Your smile quickly fades and you bury your face in your hands. If only the god of mischief had the power to resurrect your father and brother, and find your mother. _28… 29… 30…_

You look up from your hands, wipe away a tear, and head out the door to join the rest of the group outside.


	3. Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You are not alone on that huge spaceship.

The main area of the ship is loaded with people. You scan the faces in the crowd to see if any one of them might be your mother. But, as usual, you do not see her. You are beginning to lose hope that she made it out of Asgard alive. You almost definitely would have seen her by now.

You look up to the front of the room where Thor is sitting, surrounded by several people. You recognize the Valkyrie from the bridge, and the large green man, Heimdall, and of course Loki, but the others you’re not so sure about. There’s a large man who looks to be made from stone, and his friend, whatever that one may be. You wonder what they’re talking about. Your eyes turn to gaze upon Loki, who is whispering something to his brother. He looks up for a moment, and his eyes meet yours. You see his look soften a bit, and a hint of a smile spread across his lips. But then Thor says something and Loki turns back to face him.

As you walk through the crowd, a few people say hello to you and exchange pleasantries. There is a general feeling of fear and uncertainty among the people. It buzzes through the crowd like electricity.

“[Y/N]?”

You think you hear someone calling your name. You look around to see where it could be coming from. You see a familiar face coming towards you. It is your old childhood friend Bjǫrn. He was the son of your neighbors on Asgard, and the two of you practically grew up together. The sight of him in the crowd of strangers brings a sense of relief and happiness to you.

“Bjǫrn!” you exclaim, and rush up to him. He extends his arms out and picks you up in a big bear hug.

“Wow, [Y/N], I didn’t think I’d find you here,” says Bjǫrn. “It’s so good to see you. Where’s your brother? Your father?”

Your heart sinks. “Oh Bjǫrn,” you say woefully, “They didn’t make it…” Your voice trails off and you cover your face with your hands again.

“Oh, darling, I’m so sorry,” says Bjǫrn, patting your shoulder. “But your mother made it out, right?”

Your eyes start to fill with tears again. “I haven’t been able to find her,” you say.

“You haven’t seen her yet?” Bjǫrn says.

You look at him curiously. “What do you mean, ‘yet’?”

Bjǫrn smiles and motions for you to follow him. The two of you make your way through the crowd to a door near the rear of the ship. The door slides open. Inside, you see a number of people in various states of injury. The room seems to be some sort of infirmary.

Bjǫrn leads you through the room to a bed towards the end. There, lying on a small cot with bandages over her head and arms, is your mother. You gasp.

“Mother!” you cry, and rush to her side.

Your mother looks up and sees you, and smiles. “Oh hello, chipmunk.” The two of you embrace.

“What happened?” you ask. “How did you get on the ship?”

Your mother opens her mouth to start speaking, but is cut off by Loki, who has entered the infirmary. “I can tell you that,” he says.

You turn to look at him, full of curiosity. You’re also very happy to see him in general.

“I found her as I was running from the vault after resurrecting Surtur in the eternal flame,” says Loki. “She was beaten and broken, outside the gates of the palace. I put her on my ship and flew her here.”

Your heart swells when you hear this. You know that he knew she was your mother, and that’s why he saved her. But…

“Why didn’t you tell me she was here sooner?” you say, somewhat incredulously. “Like maybe when…” you cut yourself off. You don’t want to give your secret away,

“I probably should have,” says Loki. “But I wanted to tend to you first. I hope you understand.” The two of you share a look.

You raise an eyebrow and half-smile. “OK, I understand,” you say.

Loki smiles back. “The important thing,” he says, “is that the two of you are reunited now.” He looks at Bjǫrn, who is standing near you. “I beg your pardon, I didn’t get your name, sir?”

Bjǫrn clears his throat. “I’m Bjǫrn.”

Loki looks half intrigued, half annoyed. “And how is it that you know [Y/N]?”

“He’s an old friend,” you tell Loki. “We grew up together.”

“I see,” says Loki, a twinge of jealousy in his voice. “A friend?”

You see where this is going. “Yes, Loki. Just a friend.”

Bjǫrn looks slightly put off by this exchange. “Just a friend,” he mumbles.

“Loki,” your mother says. “Where are we going? Asgard is gone. Where will be our new home?”

Loki turns to face your mother. “My lady,” he says. “We are going to Earth. Midgard.”

Your mother ponders this for a moment, then says, “Midgard, yes. Lovely place, I hear. Chipmunk, can you help me settle in? I need to get some sleep.”

Loki leans his head close to yours. “Chipmunk?” he whispers with a grin.

“Shhh,” you reply, and go over to your mother to help tuck her in. Bjǫrn says goodbye and leaves the infirmary, giving Loki a hostile look on the way out.

Soon your mother is asleep. Loki takes your hand. His voice drops to a low whisper, so no one else in the room can hear. “You sure you don’t have any feelings for that fellow?”

You look into Loki’s eyes and put a hand on his cheek very briefly. “Not a one,” you whisper.

“Good,” whispers Loki. “For a moment I was afraid there was competition.”

“I can’t speak for Bjǫrn, though,” you say with a smirk.

“Oh really?” says Loki somewhat louder, then returning to a whisper. “Am I going to have to fend him off?”

“I don’t know,” you reply. “You saw how he looked at you. He sees you as a threat.”

“Hmm,” whispers Loki. “Well, he can’t have you. You’re mine now.”


	4. Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your mother thinks you would make a fine princess, Bjǫrn has other ideas, and Loki is… amazing. However, his (and your) happiness may only be temporary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a blast writing this series, even though we all know how it ends for poor Loki.

You spend most of the day at your mother’s bedside, catching up and making sure she has everything she needs. You feel a great sense of joy and relief knowing she’s okay, mixed with the sadness and grief over losing the rest of your family.

You really want to tell your mother about Loki, and your newfound love, but you promised Loki you’d keep your budding relationship a secret. You wonder if you’ll ever be able to go public with the news, or if you’re destined to spend the rest of your days sneaking around.

“He loves you,” your mother says to you.

“Hmm?” you reply, “Who loves me?”

“Loki,” your mother says. “I can see it in his eyes, in the way he looks at you. He loves you.”

You blush. “I doubt that, mother. He’s royalty. I’m just…”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” your mother says. “You’re a beautiful young woman. He’d be a fool not to notice that.”

You don’t know what to say to that, so you just fold your hands in your lap and look down at them.

“I know I’m right,” your mother says. “Bjǫrn also has feelings for you. You’re collecting quite a bunch of suitors. Pretty soon, every available young man on this ship will be after you.”

You laugh. “Oh, mother.”

“If you want,” she says, “I could talk to Loki for you. Put in a good word.”

“That won’t be necessary, mother,” you say.

“No? Well, don’t let the opportunity get past you. You’d make a fine princess.”

You blush again and cover your mouth so your mother doesn’t see your smile.

“Why don’t you go find him now?” she says. “I’m not going anywhere.”

You’re not going to turn down any opportunity to see Loki. “Well, maybe I could use a quick break.”

“There you go,” your mother says. “I’ll be here when you get back.”

You stand up and go to leave the infirmary. As you exit, you see Bjǫrn standing in the hallway. As soon as he sees you he rushes up to you and grabs you by the wrist.

“What’s the deal?” says Bjǫrn. “I saw how Loki looked at you. What’s going on there?”

You are taken aback by Bjǫrn’s tone. “Nothing is going on, Bjǫrn.”

“I don’t know if I believe you,” he says.

“Even if there were, which there’s not,” you say, “Why would that mean anything to you?”

Bjǫrn flushes a bit. “I just… want to make sure you’re safe,” he says.

“I’m fine, Bjǫrn,” you say. “I’m a grown woman. I can take care of myself. Plus,” you lean your head closer to him and say in a near-whisper, “I don’t think my mother would be so keen on my getting involved with him.”

Bjǫrn frowns. “Maybe,” he says. “But please, [Y/N], be careful. There’s all sorts of lechers on this ship, any one of which would love to have you.”

You look directly at Bjǫrn. “Are you one of those lechers?”

Bjǫrn bristles. “I, um… of course not,” he says hesitantly. “I’m your friend.”

You smile at him. “Okay then,” you reply. “If you’ll excuse me I need to… um… go freshen up.” You leave Bjǫrn standing there, his eyes following you down the hall as you make your way back into the main area of the ship.

People are still milling about all over the ship. You don’t see Loki anywhere, so you make your way to his quarters to see if he’s in there, being careful to make sure no one is following you. You knock quietly on his door. The door slides open to reveal Loki, looking groggy and a bit disheveled.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” you say upon seeing him. “Did I wake you?”

Loki smiles and looks around to make sure no one is watching. “No, no, my dear, I just nodded off for a moment. Come in.”

You enter Loki’s quarters and the door slides shut behind you. Loki smooths down his hair with his hands, then straightens out his clothes. “How’s your mother doing?” he asks.

“She’s getting much better,” you reply with a smile. “She told me I should come see you.”

Loki looks confused. “Why would she do that?”

“She’s being her usual meddlesome self,” you say. “She’s harmless. She always means well.”

Loki studies you for a moment. “Come here,” he says.

You walk over to where he is standing. He pulls you close and kisses you. You feel the smile on his lips as they meet yours.

You pull back and look into his eyes. “I’m not keeping you from anything, am I?”

Loki strokes his fingers across your cheek. “No, you’re not.”

There is a knock on the door. “Crap,” you say.

“Here, hide in this closet for a moment,” says Loki, opening the closet door. “It’ll just be a minute.”

You go into the closet and Loki closes the door. You look around for a light so you can see a little better, but you can’t seem to find a switch. You put your ear to the door to see if you can hear who Loki is talking to. It sounds like it could be his brother.

The voices stop and you hear the door close outside. Loki opens the closet door and you nearly fall out because you were leaning against it.

“Sorry about that,” says Loki. “That was my brother. He says he needs me up on deck.”

“Okay,” you say. “But I need one last kiss before you go.”

Loki complies, and the two of you share a long, sweet kiss. Then Loki pulls you in even closer, giving you a warm, comforting hug. You sigh happily.

“If you need me, I’ll be in the infirmary,” you tell him as you head out the door.

“Right, my love,” says Loki.

You make your way back through the hallway and the main area. Suddenly, something outside the window catches your eye. Other people in the area notice it as well, and flock to the windows to have a look.

It is another ship, an enormous one.

You wonder if Loki has seen this ship, and if he knows anything about where this ship came from and why it’s here. You don’t have a very good feeling about the looks of it, that’s for certain.


End file.
